Music sheet or book holder



(No Model.)

- W. F. ARMSTRONG.

MUSIC SHEET 03 BOOK HOLDER.

Patented Aug. 18, 1891. I

l llllllllllllll ummumumm WITNESSES: I 6? a-oyflf UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM F. ARMSTRONG, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MUSIC SHEET OR BOOK HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 458,009, dated August 18, 1891. Application filed December 10, 1890. Serial No. 374,164. (No model.)

T at whom it may concern:

Be it known th at I, WILLIAM F. ARMSTRONG, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Music Sheet or Book Holders, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings.

My invention consists of a holder for a music sheet, book, 850., having a bed or base,

a back plate, and sliding jaws which are held in contact with the sheet, 850., by the action of a spring and adapted to be conveniently withdrawn from position,'all as will be hereinafter set forth.

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a music-holder embodying my invention. Fig. 2. represents a bottom plan view of a portion thereof on an enlarged scale.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two figures.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a bedor base, which may be placed upon a suitable portion of a piano or other musical instrument, a table, 850., and secured thereto,if so desired,by screws or nails passed through the openings B. In the base are transverselyextending slots 0, in which are freely fitted the pins D and the lower ends of the jaws D, which are guided in said slots, so as to slide properly therein, said jaws being connected with a head or bar E, to which is attached the rod or stem F, said parts being preferably on the under side of the bed. The forward end of the stem F is passed through an ear G on the front plate H of the base, and said stem is encircled by a coiled spring H, which bears against the bar E and plate 11 for pressing the jaws in adirection toward the back plate J of the device.

The operation is as follows: The jaws are drawn outwardly by means of the knob K and stem F, whereby a piece or sheet of music, a book, &c., may be placed on the base between the jaws and the back plate. The knob is then let go, whereby the jaws close on the sheet, &c., and sustain the same in upright position against said plate, the latter rising sufficiently high to afford a good resting-place for the back of the sheet, &c. WVhen it is desired to remove the sheet, &c., the jaws are drawn out, whereby said jaws are relieved of pressure, and the sheet, &c., may be withdrawn.

If jaws are placed at the ends of the base, the same being operated similar to those hereinbefore stated, the several jaws may be coupled as one; but to this I do not limit myself WVhile the jaws D are movable in the slots 0, they are prevented from displacement therefrom by means of washers or shoulders L on the jaws and the bar E, said shoulders and bar being, respectively, on opposite faces of the base A.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A holder for a music sheet or book, comprising a base A, provided with a back plate J, extending upward therefrom, a front ear G, depending from the front thereof, and transverse slots 0 therein, in combination with the jaws D, which are movable in said slots and have shoulders bearing on the upper side of the base, the. sliding bar E, attached to said jaws, the stem F, secured to said bar, and a spring surrounding said stem and bearing against said bar, the said stem passing through said ear G and having a handle or knob K, substantially as described.

2. A holder consisting of the back plate J, the supporting base A, having transverse slots 0, the sliding jaws D above said base, the sliding bar E below said base, the sliding stem F, mounted in an ear in said base and secured to said bar, and the returning-spring H, bearing against said bar, said jaws having shoulders L, which ride on the upperside of the base and serving with the ends of the bar E on the under side of said bar to retain the jaws in position, the connecting-pins D of said jaws and bar being guided in the slots of the base.

WILLIAM F. ARMSTRONG.

Witnesses:

JOHN A. WIEDEESHEIM, RoBT. .AITON. 

